The Languedoc, roughly speaking, is the corner of France on the bottom left as you look at the map, bordered by Toulouse in the north, Nimes in the east and Perpignan in the west. It is a region with a venerable history, spectacular scenery and a pleasant climate. There are beautiful beaches to explore and enough activities of all sorts to please the most demanding holiday maker.
It is easy to reach the Languedoc by road, rail or air. The TGV runs regular fast trains from Paris to Mediterranean stations in both the east and west of the region. There are numerous airports served by both budget carriers and scheduled flights. Toulouse, Perpignan, Carcassonne,Beziers, Montpelier and Nimes are all accessible from a variety of airports across the UK.
If you decide to fly, car hire is readily available. It is possible to book a car from the airport when you arrive, but it is also usually possible to book a car at a preferential rate when you book your flights. At busy times of year, this is probably the best option.
It is also possible to take a ferry from the UK one of the French ports and drive to the Langudoc. The most obvious route is via Paris and the Milau Gorge (now spanned by the awesome Milau Viaduct), but it is also possible to cross from the Uk to one of the Breton ports (St. Malo or Roscoff). if you have the time, it is very pleasant to jaunter down the west coast of France to La Rochelle, then head for Bordeaux and onward to Toulouse, the Languedoc and the Mediterranean coast.
Generally speaking, once you have arrived in the Langudoc, the transport links are excellent, especially in the summer.
The Mediterranean ports and rivers are working waterways, usually with regular ferries up, down and even across the rivers and with many reasonably priced boat trips out from the ports to nearby places of interest. Sete, Marseillan, Cap d'Agde and Grau d'Agde, for example all run an assortment of fishing, education and leisure trips, well publicised at the Tourist Information Centres and at the local quaysides.
Around Beziers, Cap d'Agde and the Etang de Thau where the Canal du Midi heads towards the Mediterranean, canal trips are available, taking you through the locks of that historic waterway. From Sete, boat trips leave for the Camargue on a regular basis and it is also possible to take a ferry further south to North Africa. Car ferries to Nador and Tangier run a couple of times a week in the summer months
For the braver and more confident tourist, boat hire is usually available on any navigable stretch of water, although it might be as well to check that no festival, son et lumiere or water joust is taking place before you decide to set out on a solo boat trip.
Local bus services are also well publicised and well supported by helpful conductors and inspectors during the tourist season. Buses services from the more remote areas are generally timetabled to fit in with the arrivals and departures of TGVs and flights.
Languedoc has so much to offer as a holiday destination that it's difficult to know where to start. The Mediterranean coast, the glorious valley of the Orb and the ancient city of Carcassonne are all well known.
The awe-inspiring brick cathedral at Albi is well worth a visit. This enormous building is such a political statement about the wealth and strength of the Church that its power still resonates in our more secular times. After a visit to the Cathedral, a little river trip on one of the traditional boats of Albi (gabare) will help you return slowly to the twenty first century, or maybe you would prefer to explore the medieval streets and the stylish boutiques.
Hidden in La Montagne Noire, between Castres and Beziers, is the ancient market town of Mazamet. Once a thriving commercial centre of the wool trade, this little town is delightful to explore on foot and is a good base for walking, cycling or just exploring the Midi-Pyrenees.
The Montagne Noire car rally and stages of the Tour de France are often based around Mazamet, so if you are considering a visit, it's worth checking dates with the Tourist Office.
As well as the natural beauty of the mountains, rivers and coast of the region, there are plenty of historical sites well worth visiting. The fairy tale city of Carcassonne is world famous, but there are plenty more Cathar strongholds to be seen in the Languedoc.
More recent history has also left its mark. It is sobering to come across memorials to the French Resistance in the villages and forests around Castres and Mazamet. The lists of the dead, with their ages written beside their names read like the members of youth rugby teams, with the ocasional coach or referee thrown in for good measure; it is impossible to stand in the quiet countryside, the silence broken only by birdsong without being able to imagine the terror and excitement of the conflict or without being moved by these stark crosses.
Don't take my word for it though – take a trip out there and see for yourself.
Languedoc Roussillon: Getting There
It is easy to reach the Languedoc by road, rail or air. The TGV runs regular fast trains from Paris to Mediterranean stations in both the east and west of the region. There are numerous airports served by both budget carriers and scheduled flights. Toulouse, Perpignan, Carcassonne,Beziers, Montpelier and Nimes are all accessible from a variety of airports across the UK.
Languedoc Roussillon: Car Hire
If you decide to fly, car hire is readily available. It is possible to book a car from the airport when you arrive, but it is also usually possible to book a car at a preferential rate when you book your flights. At busy times of year, this is probably the best option.
Languedoc Roussillon: By Road
It is also possible to take a ferry from the UK one of the French ports and drive to the Langudoc. The most obvious route is via Paris and the Milau Gorge (now spanned by the awesome Milau Viaduct), but it is also possible to cross from the Uk to one of the Breton ports (St. Malo or Roscoff). if you have the time, it is very pleasant to jaunter down the west coast of France to La Rochelle, then head for Bordeaux and onward to Toulouse, the Languedoc and the Mediterranean coast.
Languedoc: Buses and Boat Trips
Generally speaking, once you have arrived in the Langudoc, the transport links are excellent, especially in the summer.
The Mediterranean ports and rivers are working waterways, usually with regular ferries up, down and even across the rivers and with many reasonably priced boat trips out from the ports to nearby places of interest. Sete, Marseillan, Cap d'Agde and Grau d'Agde, for example all run an assortment of fishing, education and leisure trips, well publicised at the Tourist Information Centres and at the local quaysides.
Beziers, Cap d'Agde and Sete
Around Beziers, Cap d'Agde and the Etang de Thau where the Canal du Midi heads towards the Mediterranean, canal trips are available, taking you through the locks of that historic waterway. From Sete, boat trips leave for the Camargue on a regular basis and it is also possible to take a ferry further south to North Africa. Car ferries to Nador and Tangier run a couple of times a week in the summer months
For the braver and more confident tourist, boat hire is usually available on any navigable stretch of water, although it might be as well to check that no festival, son et lumiere or water joust is taking place before you decide to set out on a solo boat trip.
Local bus services are also well publicised and well supported by helpful conductors and inspectors during the tourist season. Buses services from the more remote areas are generally timetabled to fit in with the arrivals and departures of TGVs and flights.
Languedoc: Exploring Albi
Languedoc has so much to offer as a holiday destination that it's difficult to know where to start. The Mediterranean coast, the glorious valley of the Orb and the ancient city of Carcassonne are all well known.
The awe-inspiring brick cathedral at Albi is well worth a visit. This enormous building is such a political statement about the wealth and strength of the Church that its power still resonates in our more secular times. After a visit to the Cathedral, a little river trip on one of the traditional boats of Albi (gabare) will help you return slowly to the twenty first century, or maybe you would prefer to explore the medieval streets and the stylish boutiques.
Languedoc: Mazamet
Hidden in La Montagne Noire, between Castres and Beziers, is the ancient market town of Mazamet. Once a thriving commercial centre of the wool trade, this little town is delightful to explore on foot and is a good base for walking, cycling or just exploring the Midi-Pyrenees.
The Montagne Noire car rally and stages of the Tour de France are often based around Mazamet, so if you are considering a visit, it's worth checking dates with the Tourist Office.
Languedoc: Cathars and the French Resistance
As well as the natural beauty of the mountains, rivers and coast of the region, there are plenty of historical sites well worth visiting. The fairy tale city of Carcassonne is world famous, but there are plenty more Cathar strongholds to be seen in the Languedoc.
More recent history has also left its mark. It is sobering to come across memorials to the French Resistance in the villages and forests around Castres and Mazamet. The lists of the dead, with their ages written beside their names read like the members of youth rugby teams, with the ocasional coach or referee thrown in for good measure; it is impossible to stand in the quiet countryside, the silence broken only by birdsong without being able to imagine the terror and excitement of the conflict or without being moved by these stark crosses.
Don't take my word for it though – take a trip out there and see for yourself.
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